Leg spike



R. A. TERRY May 20, 1958 LEG SPIKE Filed May 12, 1955 INVENTOR.

RAY ARTHUR TERRY BY m? ATTORNEYS llnited States Patent LEG SPIKE Ray A. Terry, Columbus, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Bernard Nachtrab, Clark County, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 12, 1955, Serial No. 507,807 9 Claims. (Cl. 227-27) This invention relates to climbing devices and more particularly to pole climbers used by linemen, lumbermen, and the like.

The invention particularly contemplates the provision of an improved pole climbing device which provides for much greater safety by overcoming a particular problem associated with former climbers. The spur of a pole climber when it enters a pole, for example, creates an opening and it is necessary to safe operation that the wall or walls defining this opening conform closely to the contour of the spur in order to prevent slippage of the spur. However the pole climber ordinarily requires a limited degree of movement of his legs and body and such movements tend to enlarge the spur receiving hole unduly and slippage of the spur results.

A particular object of this invention is to provide a pole climbing device in which this source of hazard is overcome.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a pole climbing assembly which resiliently supports the weight of a pole climber.

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the pole climber of invention secured to the limb of a pole climber;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the pole climber of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical section of the structure of Fig. 2 showing the parts in an inoperative position;

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to that of Figure 3 and showing the parts in an operative position;

Figure 5 is a perspective view partially in section illustrating the relationship of some of the component parts of the structure of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view partially in section illustrating the relationship of some of the component parts of the structure of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of an upper portion of the structure of Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a sectional view similar to the lower portion of the structure of Fig. 3 and illustrates a modification of the structure of invention, and

Figure 9 illustrates a further modification of the structure of invention.

Referring to the figures of the drawing the numeral 1 indicates the leg of a pole climber to which the pole climbing device generally indicated at 3 is secured.

Referring now more particularly to Figure 2 the pole climbing device 3 comprises a leg bar 5 and a lower laterally extending foot receiving portion 7. The portion 7 is upwardly turned at its outer end 9 and provided with an eyelet 11 which is swivelably mounted at 13. Eyelet 11 receives a metal ring 15 to which the strap fastening means 17, 17 are secured. The strapping 17 ICC (Figure 1) secures about the ankle of the pole climber as shown.

The upper portion of the leg bar 5 is arranged to permit movement of the leg of the wearer, particularly fiexure of the knee, with respect to the leg bar. For this purpose the leg bar carries an extension plate 19 which is pivotally secured to the leg bar by a nut and bolt combination indicated at 21. To permit the pivotal movement the extension plate 19 is arcuately slotted laterally at 23. A bolt 25 passes through the slot and the enlarged heads 27, 29 (Fig. 7) thereof are retained by the combination of the leg bar 5 and the extension plate 19 to permit lateral movement but not substantial rectilineal movement of the plate with respect to the leg bar. Washers 30 serve as spacers between the leg bar 5 and extension plate 19 and between the extension plate and bolt heads to permit easy relative movement.

Loops 31, 33 of leather are suitably riveted or otherwise secured to a leather guard 35 and retain the guard on the leg bar 5. At the upper end the guard carries leather retaining loops 37, 39 and in line with these loops the extension plate 19 carries a metal loop 41. Fastening strap means 43 pass through the combination of loops 37, 39, 41 and are adapted to be secured about the leg of a wearer as indicated in Figure 1.

Referring now to Figure 3 the leg bar 5 is slotted at 45 longitudinally of the leg bar as is clearly seen from Figure 5. A tenon 47 of a block member 49 slidably engages the walls of the slot 45 and is itself provided with threaded holes 51, 53.

Again referring to Figure 3 screws 55, 57 pass through a keeper 59, the slot 45, and securely engage in the threaded holes 51, 53 respectively to fixedly retain the keeper and block member 49 together. The keeper 59, as more clearly seen in Figure 6, has inturned ends 60, 62 which engage loosely about the edges of the leg bar 5 in sliding engagement with the leg bar. A spring 61 is interposed between the leg bar 5 and the keeper 59 and is apertured to have the screw 55 pass therethrough (Fig. 3). This spring biases the keeper outwardly from the leg bar 5 and provides for easy sliding movement of the combination of the keeper and block member.

Secured upwardly on the leg bar 5 is an angle iron 63 which is tapped to receive a screw 65 which secures the angle iron to the leg'bar 5. The lower limb 66 of the angle iron receives a headed stud 67 therethrough and a nut 69 threaded on the stud provides for secure retention of the stud on the limb 66.

The block member 49 is recessed to receive a stud 71 which extends above the block member. A coil spring 73 abuts against a metal washer 75 at the upper end and another metal washer 77 at its lower end and is retained between the limb 66 and the block member 49 by the extensions of the studs 67, 71.

The block member 49 has depending therefrom a spur 79 which is adapted to enter into the wood, for example, of the pole to be climbed. This spur tapers outwardly from the lower portion of the leg bar 5 to permit of facile entry of the spur into the pole. Thus the spur 79, the block member 49, the keeper 59 and the spring bias means 61 are movable in the slot 45 relatively to the leg bar 5, and downward pressure on the leg bar 5 and the foot receiving extension '7, when the spur 79 is held fixed in a pole, occasions movement only of the bar 5 and the extension 7 relative to the spur and the block member 49. This will be more clearly seen by reference to Figure 4 (also Fig. 5) wherein the block member 49 and its spur 79 are shown fixed with respect to the opening 81 of the structure 83.

It is clear that pressure on the leg bar 5 moves the bar downwardly while the spur 79 remains fixedly positioned and thus the opening is not enlarged for it is under constant pressure regardless of the position of the leg bar 5.

Further itis to be particularly noted that should the spring 73 fail for any reason the device is completely safeT for the block 49 and leg bar 5 vwould move only ar sh'ort distance into abutment and the user will not be jolted to any extent. v s H Figure 8 illustrates a modification ofthe structure of invention in which a spring 62 supported about the screw 57 extends downwardly with the block member 49' with a lower edge of the spring engaged in a groove 64 of leg bar 5. The spring 62 in operative position prevents chips from a pole, for example, from entering the slot 45 and thus the slot is maintained clear. While both spring 62 and spring 61 are useful I have found that the structure is operable satisfactorily without these.

Figure 9 illustrates a modification in which a spring 86 vissecured between bolt 21' on the leg bar 5 and a pin 88 on the pivotal plate 19; spring 86 functions to bias the bolt 29' and washer 30' out of the center of slot 23 and a user works against the slight tension of springs-6.; V I

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and accordingly it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A climbing device having a spring to freely support the weight ofa climber, a spur-carrying member engaged against one end of the spring, a leg bar engageable with the other end of the spring and freely ridable on the spring with respect to the spur-carrying member in the loaded condition of the spring.

.2. A climbing device comprising a leg bar having a lower lateral foot receiving extension, a movable spurcarrying. block member in said leg bar above the extension, and a spring to freely support the weight of a climber, the spring being secured between the block member and the leg bar and adapted to be stressed by movement of the leg bar with respect to the block memher, the leg bar being freely-ridable with respect to the block member in the loaded condition of the spring.

3. A climbing device having a coil spring to freely support the weight of a climber, a leg bar secured to an upper end of the spring,'said leg bar having a lower footreceiving lateral extension, and a slidable spur-carrying block member in said leg bar above the extension, said block member being secured to the lower end of the spring, the leg bar being freely ridable with respect to the block member in the compressed condition of the spring.

4..A pole climbing device comprising a spur adapted to be secured in position in a pole to he climbed, and means to carry the spur, said means including a leg bar adapted to move with respect to the spur in the secured condition of the latter, a block having the spur depending therefrom, the block being slidable vertically in a slot of the leg bar, and a coil spring carried by the leg bar and the block and secured therebetween, the coil spring being of suflicient capacity to maintain the leg bar resiliently supported with respect to the block and the spur in a 4 I loaded condition of the spring under the weight of an operator on the device.

5. A climbing device having a substantially rigid leg bar adapted to be secured to a leg of a climber longitudinally thereof, the bar being provided in the length thereof with a slot, a block in the bar slidable in the slot and having a spur depending from the block which spur is adapted to engage in a structure to be climbed, a coil spring, means on the bar on the upper side of the slot retaining an upper end of the spring, means on the block retaining a lower end of the spring, the spring being adapted to freely support the weight of a climber and being compressible to bias the block freely slidably relative to the leg bar under the weight of a climber when the spur is engaged in a structure.

6. A pole climbing device comprising a leg bar having a lower lateral foot-receiving extension, said bar having a vertically extending slot therein above the extension, a movable spur-carrying block member carried slidably in said slot and having the spur-carrying portion extending from the bar on the side opposite the lateral extension, a keeper secured to the block member and slidably mounted on the leg bar on a face thereof on the same side as the lateral extension, said keeper covering and extending beyond the slot of the bar in both directions from the slot, spring means between the keeper and bar biasing the keeper outwardly of the bar for sliding movement of the keeper on the bar, and a coil spring supported from the bar above the slot and also from the block member and compressible upon movement of the bar relative to the block, the leg bar being freely ridable with respect to the block member in the loaded condition of the spring.

7 7. A pole climbing device as in claim 6 in which the leg bar has an upper portion including a swivel connection securing the portion to the leg bar,'said portion having means to secure the device to a leg of a user.

8. A pole climbing device as in claim 6 in which the leg bar has an upper portion including a swivel connection securing the portion to the leg bar, and a spring biasing the upper portion with respect to the leg bar.

9. A pole climbing device comprising a spur adapted to be secured in position in a pole to be climbed, and means to carry the spur, said means including a leg bar adapted to move with respect to the spur in the secured condition of the latter, a block having the spur depending therefrom, the block being slidable vertically in a slot of the leg bar, a coil spring carried by the block and leg bar and adapted to bias the block and spur thereon with respect to the leg bar to a secured position in movement of the-leg bar in a loaded condition of the device, and a resilient member supported from the block and engaged in a groove of the leg bar below the slot thereof closing the slot of the leg bar to prevent chips and the like from entering the slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,026,853 Donnelly May 21, 1912 2,297,136 Detering, Sept. 29, 1942 2,590,338 Merrill Mar. 25, 1952 

